---------- > From: Billbrpt <Billbrpt@aol.com> > To: pianotech@ptg.org > Subject: Re: Temperaments > Date: Monday, January 26, 1998 8:31 AM > > In a message dated 98-01-26 07:32:08 EST, Micheal Jorgensen writes: > > <<...though I certainly respect ET and think it is remarkable > how close tuners actually come to it in practice. >> > > In a message dated 98-01-25 16:18:10 EST, Jim Bryant writes: > > << b. If the 'contract', as agreed to did not specify a temperament to use > and you used a temperament that was not the 'norm' of the community then the > contract would not have been fulfilled faithfully. {snip} Bill B replies... > There are no statutes on the book here in Madison that state what a "normal" > piano tuning is. I doubt if there are anywhere else either. {snip} You have a right to trumpet temperaments other than ET. But to deny that ET is not the standard (or normal as you say) because "there are no statues on the books" does not negate the fact that ET is considered by practicing and competent piano tuners, the accepted standard of practice in the music industry. That makes ET the legal standard whether you like it or not, and should you choose to tune in a music industry venue, you are expected to conform to that standard, unless a contract states otherwise. Richard Moody ps I have heard the show "what do you know" on PBS, in particular the one in Rapid City SD since a friend was in the audience. I don't remember the piano, but still I am interested in hearing how a piano sounds in non ET over the airways. Are there any shows comming up that have a piano with your tuning? rm > "Don't ask, don't tell, just do it." > > Bill Bremmer RPT > Madison, Wisconsin Perhaps part of the "Big Picture" is not being seen, or is being ignored. We as piano tuners are part of a service aspect of the music industry. The standard tuning for the music industry is Equal Temperament. Whether you agree or dis-agree that Et should or should not be that standard it doesn't matter. The fact is that 99.9 percent of all music played with keyboards by professional musicians is and has to be in ET. If a piano is not in ET, it cannot be played with synthesizers, or guitars, or in recording studios. Now we are down to the .1 percent of music that can be played with a non ET temperament. The reality is is if you tune a piano to something other than ET in a professional situation, and that tuning causes loss of time on the part of recording studio, and the musicians being paid scale, you run the risk of being held liable. Richard Moody
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